Note: Scenes 5, 6, & 7 take place all in the same day,
same place and could possibly run without break, perhaps with only a lighting change.
AT RISE: The same. Levels 2a and 3
throne area and a courtyard below [orchestra]
TIME: 316 B.C. The same day, toward evening
PLACE: Besieged in a castle in Pydna [Modern; Kitros], near the sea
(During the preceding,
people of the CHORUS OF RELATIVES AND
FRIENDS OF THE 100 quietly moaning,
trickle onto the stage. They are
dressed in black, ankle-length robes
with hoods over their heads. Toward the
end of the above speech, their moans
grow louder, their numbers increase,
and they push back the hoods from their
heads, revealing faces smudged with
ashes and hair cropped and disheveled.
They come on in a disordered manner and
stand dispersed further DS. One figure
walks with firm determination and
measured, ritual step up to Olympias,
stands, and slowly raises a large
stone. Olympias recoils, until she
realizes that it is being handed to
her. She takes it, slowly. Looks
intensely at the giver, who points to
the stone. Olympias looks closely at it
and sees a word scratched on the
surface.)
OLYMPIAS
Os-tra-kis-mos.
(continuing; louder)
Ostrakismos.
(She appears relieved, and then she
raises the stone high overhead with
both hands, as if to show the world.
Then looking up at the stone again from
the underside as it hangs above her
head, she sees something, lowers it
slowly, and reads.)
OLYMPIAS
(continuing)
Ha-des.
(She feels the full import of the word,
and looks up with a frozen face of open-
mouthed doom.)
OLYMPIAS
(continuing)
Than-a-tos.
(She clutches the stone to her breast.
She is rigid.
Then she stretches to a fully
exaggerated height. Not defiant. Almost
tears.)
RELATIVES & FRIENDS OF 100
(These characters, — everyone with no other part in this scene — may speak in unison, or their lines may be assigned.)
O, Blessed Ones, support me now! Allekto! Megaira!
Tisiphone! Come down through me upon this woman. My
eyes are dry from prolonged melancholy.
(Roxanê, clutching the hand of Alexander
IV, enters DSR. She remains there as
the crowd moves very slowly in on
Olympias.)
RELATIVES & FRIENDS OF 100
(continuing)
Unceasing grief awaits its end in retribution. The
thought of desiring it embitters every moment of my
days, and drives my bloody rage to kill this thing
of evil.
(They begin to find the chant that will
propel them into the attack on
Olympias. The first chant by one small
group has two syllables, the diphthong
"e-e-e-o-o-o", as in a two-syllabled
"you" The second chant by a second
small group is "ER'-er-er" vowels, as
in a three-syllabled "mur'-der-er",
without the consonants "m" and "d".
They are essentially chanting "you
murderer", becoming a sustained battle
cry.)
OLYMPIAS
Those shades that sit above pierce my soul with
fear, devour my heart. O, Blessed Ones, support me
now! If I could know the mind of the gods-- I would
know--
(From the chorus comes the voice of Ate,
Woman #1, beginning with a wicked laugh.)
ATE-WOMAN #1
Ha! Olympias! Olympias! The gods know!
(There follows a laugh only Ate could
produce.)
OLYMPIAS
I have been the fool of Ate.
(Gradually the Relatives & Friends
Chorus come together as an organized
unit, spread out from SR to SL.
During the following they move US,
slowly, in unison now, converging on
Olympias, her fate coming upon her.)
OLYMPIAS
(continuing)
I see through their eyes. O-o-o-o I moan through
their voice, low, dry. Now I wonder I can feel
through them. Our face is set. Our hands are fists,
holding something hard. My dress insults them. I
feel their wrath! for me! A frenzy-turned inward. I
am accused; I am accursed. I have joined them!
(She looks beyond to Roxanê and
Alexander. She makes a gesture of
recognition to them. The relatives take
no note of those behind them, glaring
only at Olympias.)
OLYMPIAS
(continuing)
We, alone and friendless, in a circumstance dictated
by the Fates, but Alexander is here.
(She holds up a hand to salute
Alexander, who holds up his hand, too.)
OLYMPIAS
(continuing)
Alexander. Alexander.
(At the second "Alexander", she holds
her heart with both hands, and looks up.)
OLYMPIAS
(continuing)
I embrace you with all my heart.
(She swings her arms around herself, as
a gesture to Alexander.)
OLYMPIAS
(continuing)
So, this will be my end. No living sleep from waking
dreams to stretch. Where I go I will be no more. But
I have the certain knowledge that the veneration of
my son, by the whole world for his heroic life, will
become divine honors affirming his godliness. Now I
pray the flames will clean my bones before the worms
can mine my flesh.
(She salutes Alexander again. Cassander
enters. He does not go near Roxanê and
Alexander. Roxanê can stand by no
longer. She rushes through the
advancing crowd and ascends to
Olympias, takes her hand, and turns to
face the crowd a level below. Both have
tears. In her rush of emotion,
Alexander is left behind, and Cassander
moves toward the boy. During the
following, the Relatives' moans are
increasingly inflamed by Roxanê's pleas.)
ROXANÊ
Forbear, restrain your vengeance. Endure your losses
with fortitude, as I and we all have with the loss
of my son's father. Turn to compassion for the
child, the future king. Forgive this abandoned lady.
Tolerate her acts of state, as those all monarchs
must do in the course of government.
(Olympias interrupts with a gesture,
sensing the growing rage.)
OLYMPIAS
Softly, now, dear, while Olympias departs. Go to our
child before that hand touches his hair. It is harsh
retribution that overtakes me. You cannot argue with
a beast foaming at the mouth with hunger. I have
seen the black shapes hovering. Reasoning is no
longer here.
(She interrupts Olympias, her tears
mounting. To the Relatives:)
ROXANÊ
Alexander needs this guardian. I need this
protector. She is my only hope. The future of the
realm rests with my boy, your king. This queen
shelters his life and mine. You will kill us all
three if you do not show forgiveness and compassion.
(Roxanê finally sees Cassander moving
across DS toward the child Alexander.
Roxanê becomes torn between Alexander
and Olympias, wanting to protect them
both. She is greatly agitated by the
dilemma.)
ROXANÊ
(continuing)
O Blessed Ones! Protect this mother! These threats
are unbearable!
(She hesitates momentarily, then dashes
through the crowd DS to her son, to
shelter him from Cassander. As before,
the first small group in the chorus of
Relatives and Friends is droning the
first chant of two syllables, the
diphthong "e-e-e-o-o-o", as in a two-
syllabled "you" The second small group,
following the first chant, is droning
the second chant of "Er-er-er", the
vowels, as in a three-syllabled
"murderer", without the consonants "m"
and "d", "you murderer". A third small
group in this chorus is moaning
"Olympias!", forming a choral "floor"
as the drone of a bagpipe underlies the
tune above.)
(In the following, the lines are
interlaced. Olympias sees Roxanê with Alexander,
and Cassander standing nearby, as she
speaks to the Relatives closing in.)
OLYMPIAS
Courage, friends of my demise. The gods have spoken
against me. They have abandoned me to your justice.
To take this life is not your right, but your
necessity. Aim well your stones, and here is the
first, from me.
(She hands her stone to one of the
hooded figures, who moves back through
the mob DS, circles around to come up
behind Olympias, unseen by her, at the
right moment later.)
CASSANDER
(to Roxanê and Alexander)
To take her life is now their right. A necessary act.
CASSANDER
(continuing; repeat)
She is an animal exceeding all others in
destructiveness. Commits outrage with pleasure. To
take her life is now their right. A necessary act.
(Repeat.)
ROXANÊ
Softly now, dear, while grandmother departs.
(Repeats.)
(Alexander is deeply disturbed.)
Alexander IV
Mother.
(Repeats.)
Alexander IV
(continuing)
Grandmother.
(Repeats.)
(The First Stone Wielder, the one given
the stone by Olympias, suddenly rises
up from behind Olympias with the large
stone that Olympias had handed him in both
hands, raised high above her head,
hesitating one brief moment to mark the
spot of the blow. He swings the rock
down on her head, crying out several
times just before he does so, only the
high-pitched vowel sound of the word:
"Die!")
RELATIVES & FRIENDS OF 100
(continuing; ai!)
(ai!)
(ai!)
(Olympias goes down behind the Chorus of
Relatives. They all can be seen
swinging rock-filled hands up in the
air and coming down with crushing
force. Their chant is changed to the
rapid vowels picked up from the lead of
the man who struck the first blow.)
RELATIVES & FRIENDS OF 100
(continuing; ai!)
(ai!)
(ai!)
(ai!)
(After the stoning, six men put her in
a black wrap to be carried off. The
whole Chorus of Relatives & Friends
turns around and sees Roxanê and
Alexander IV. They advance on them.
Roxanê and Alexander cower and huddle
together. The advancing Chorus suddenly
drops to its knees before Roxanê and
Alexander IV. They arise and turn to
the men carrying the body of Olympias.)
RELATIVES & FRIENDS OF 100
(continuing; to the corpse)
There are no flames in the sea, your new home. The
fish will clean your bones.
(They file off DR behind the body.)
CASSANDER
(aside)
That knee to the king comes at great cost to them--
and me.
(Now he goes to Roxanê and Alexander,
who begin to grieve, Alexander with the
look of horror only a child can show at
events he does not understand. He turns
his questioning face first to the scene
and then to Roxanê.)
CASSANDER
(continuing)
I will take care of you now. Come along, Alexander.